Back in 2009 I watched the epic battle of the blues in which Saleem, Nirushan and Sachin saved the Thomians. By that time I had played 3 years of senior cricket for Wesley College and I had still not seen an atmosphere such as that during a cricket match.
I had only dreamed of playing a Royal Thomian and in 2011 one of my biggest dreams became a reality when I stepped on to the field of SSC in March of that year. Words cannot describe what it means to play a Royal Thomian but I will try my level best to do so. It is tough enough to play the Roy Tho with the pressure you put on yourself to succeed as a player, but the level of pressure goes up a notch when you also have the expectations of your school, teammates, old boys, parents and friends riding on your shoulders. But I guess this is what differentiates the men among the boys. And it also adds to the intensity of the game. But forget the pressure and you have an amazing platform to propel yourself and become one of the greatest in the game. There is nothing more exciting, enjoyable or thrilling than those three days in March in which you are the center of attention. Having scored 97 in 2012 and having broken a 71 year old partnership record with Asiri Wickramanayake in the same innings, I can testify that there is no better feeling than being successful at the roy tho. Being a part of the traditions and now being a part of the history of the roy tho is certainly overwhelming but it is one of the greatest achievements of my career. In 2013 I was given the opportunity of leading my school at the roy tho and this was beyond any one of my dreams. Never did I picture myself leading a team at the roy tho. But I am honored to have done so even though the final outcome was not something I had expected. I wish Helakamal and the team all the very best at the roy tho this year and I hope my fellow Thomians will back him and the team despite the outcome of the match. And as per the viewers, I hope they enjoy another great rivalry and have an amazing royal thomian.
